Information Category | 15-12-07 02:24 GMT | Posted by Ian Chicken

A Brief Look
A History that dates back to the 1500's

Ascension island (Circa 1835)

1500's
1501:- March 5th, Jöao da Nova passed the island, he named it Conception.
1503:- May 3rd, Alphonse d'Albuquerque arrived, stayed overnight, and named the island Ascension.
1539:- August 25th, King John III of Portugal recognised the island as part of the Portuguese empire.
1589:- May 28th, Jan van Linschoten arrived with his fleet of ships


1600's
1656:- June 8th Englishman Peter Mundy come ashore and wrote of turtle meat and eggs being taken.
1673:- January Friar Domingo Navarrete recorded the use of the island as post office
1691:- John Ovington visited to take turtle.
1693:- Cross Hill got its name when sailors from Captain Everards ship found the cross on the peak.

1700's
1701:- February 22nd, Captain William Dampier (Left) was shipwrecked with his crew and found water..
1725:- May 5th to October 14th:- A Dutch sailor was set ashore as punishment for the crime of sodomy.
1752:- Swedish priest Peter Osbeck arrived on his way home from China.
1769:- January 31st, Captain Carteret arrived on the Swallow for 1 night.
1769:- February, Louis de Bougainville on the La Boudeuse noted the
practice of post services still operating
1775:- May, Captain James Cook on HMS Resolution with Indiaman Dutton
call and stay there for five days.
1799:- September 8th, American ships crew rescued by HMS Endymion.

1800's
1815:- 13th October, Napoleon was exiled to St Helena and British installed a Naval Garrison.
1815:- 22nd October, The British take possession of the island, When Captains James White (HMS Peruvian) and William Dobree (HMS Zenobia) arrive.
1821:- Napoleon died on St Helena. Ascension had become a victualling station and Sanatorium. This year also saw the Marines take control of the island
1823:- The British Marines first commandant arrives to take control of the Island.
1826:- HMS Bann arrived with a crew suffering from yellow fever.
1829 - through 1832,  Water supplies where improved with pipes from Dampier's, to Georgetown.
1833:- The mountain barracks was erected.
1836:- Charles Darwin Visited aboard the HMS Beagle
1863:- New barracks built.
1847:- Botanist J.D. Hooker arrived.
1847:- St Mary's church built. (Right)
1877:- Mrs Isobel Gill wrote her account of their time on the island.
1879:- Church restored and extended.
1899:- The first Civilians arrive with the Eastern Telegraph Company.

1900's
1915:- Islands first wireless station built
1922:- It came under the colony of St Helena by Royal Letters Patent. 
1922:- October 22nd, The Navy departed.
1922:- Through 1934, Eastern Telegraph Company managed the island.
1941:- Guns from HMS Hood installed to defend the island.
1942:- 30th March, 38th Regiment arrived to construct the Airstrip
1945:- The Americans left.
1956:- The Americans signed an agreement with the UK to return to the island
1957:- Station 12 of the Eastern Test and Missile Range opened.
1963:- T.T.R. site (Nike Zeus) at Pyramid Point was constructed.
1964:- Cable & Wireless handed control over to the newly appointed Administrator.
1964:- Saw the start of construction of Two Boats Village and the BBC transmitter and Power Station Site.
1965:- NASA and Cable & Wireless open up sites at Devils Ashpit and Donkey Plain.
1989:- NASA pull out of Ascension and the European Space Agency move in.

2000's

Under Construction